‘No is not an option,’ man told girl in abduction bid

ADRIVER asked a teenage girl to get in his van – then told her saying no was “not an option” when she refused his offer of a lift.

William Grimstead, 25, stopped his vehicle alongside a 13-year-old girl who was walking in the Rogerstone area of Newport at around 7.15pm on May 20 last year, a court heard.

Sentencing at Cardiff Crown Court, Judge Christopher Vosper QC said Grimstead “asked if she wanted a lift”.

He said: “She said no and you said: ‘It’s not an option’.”

The schoolgirl fled on foot and Grimstead, who denied attempted abduction but was convicted by a jury in October, did not follow.

Byron Broadstock, defending, said Grimstead had not targeted the girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Judge Vosper said he had ordered a psychological report on Grimstead to be prepared before he was sentenced.

Addressing the defendant, he said: “You have problems related to separating reality from fiction. Your offending is likely to be associated with your difficulty recognising and conforming to social convention. [Dr Bagshot] thinks you need supervision and support and there are schemes which can assist you. I am reassured by Dr Bagshot’s report that you do not present a significant risk to the public.”

The court heard Grimstead had “aspects” of behaviour that qualified a diagnosis on the autistic spectrum after concerns were raised by the defendant’s parents.

During the sentencing Grimstead was also given a restraining order in respect of the girl.

Grimstead, of Melbourne Way in Newport, was also ordered to carry out a maximum of 30 days of rehabilitation activities.